1859-C Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter-1, the only known dies. Die State I. AU-55+ (PCGS). CAC.A handsome and originally preserved half eagle with subtle pinkish-rose highlights on dominant deep honey-olive color. As a Die State I example, the strike is superior for the issue with a nearly full obverse and only minimal evidence of rust interfering with the detail on the reverse. On the other hand, portions of the eagle are soft, and expectably so for an 1859-C $5. Writing in the 2008 edition of his reference on Charlotte Mint gold coinage, Doug Winter suggests that the reverse die for this issue may have received only one (as opposed to two) impressions from the hub, leaving the detail incomplete. Not all that far from Uncirculated preservation, both sides retain much of the mint luster, which is typically granular in texture. There are no marks of consequence, and the appearance is impressively smooth. From a mintage of 31,847 half eagles produced in Charlotte in 1859, most survivors grade no finer than EF-45, confirming the desirability of this bold Choice AU example.PCGS# 8281. NGC ID: 25VC.PCGS Population: 1; 21 finer, 9 of which are Mint State (MS-66 finest).<p>CAC Population: 7; 8. The former total includes coins certified both AU-55 and AU-55+.From the Fairmont Collection - CAG Set.
